This time, we talked neither marketing nor CRM with Uğur Özmen, who was not satisfied with his conversation. This time I asked him about the places he visited, he told me; he talked and I listened… I thank him again and again for his delicious conversation.
Ugur Ozmen Interview
What does traveling mean to you? Wandering, escaping, going away, seeing new places, meeting new people, novelty-going out of the routine, which one?
I love traveling, seeing new places and getting to know different geographies. Adding one more place to my list is like completing another task. For me, traveling means seeing a new place and heading towards the next destination.
I love to have seen one more place.
Among the places you have been to so far, what is the place that impressed you the most, which is your favourite? Why?
Probably because I like to travel, there seems to be no place I haven't been to that I haven't enjoyed. I love to find something new to discover in every new place I go. The places that affect me the most are mostly the surprises of the geography...
- Le Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, on the northern coast of France, on the coastline overlooking the English Channel, is the highest tide in the world. There was a water withdrawal at a height of 14 meters. Since the surface tendency is low. Water is drawn at a distance of 12 kilometers. There is an old monastery on the island. It looks like Sauron's tower in Lord of the Rings from miles away. Mont St. MichaelMore on my own blog I wrote.
- Again on the same coastline, Saint Malo. Again, a place where the tide is high. When the waters recede, the people enter the huge pool built on the beach. When the sea rises, the pool remains under the water. The two photos below are actually the same place. The first is the elevated state of the waters, and the second is the receding state of the waters. Notice the trampoline in the middle in the first photo.
- Honfleur, also on the Normandy coast. The city square is the sea. More precisely, the pool connected to the sea.
- Champery in the Swiss mountains. We arrived late at the hotel. He left the key on the reception desk. “Ozmen family… Your room number is 14,” he wrote on a piece of paper. He's gone. Another aspect of Champery is this: When you go up the hill, there is a 3-way sign. One side shows Italy, one side shows Switzerland, and the other side shows France. So, exactly the point where the three borders meet…
- A restaurant on a hill near Monaco, with a chalet-like atmosphere… (Similars can be made in Turkey and it saves a lot of money.)
- In Sicily, the world's largest holiday village… Turkish guests got lost despite the map in their hands. The room I stayed in was facing a garden. I could watch the squirrels in the morning from the window.
- Landscape of Scottish mountains, valleys. The beauties created by the harsh volcanic formation after thousands of years…
- Barcelona… Works of Gaudi… Architectural designs integrated with nature…
- The gloomy atmosphere of Brugges, which has produced Europe's greatest thinkers… (The first time I went, it was autumn)
- Watching the infinity of the ocean from the westernmost point of Continental Europe, near Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
- New Year's Eve rites in Athens. We went into a church and watched the mass. Then we returned to the hotel. There is a live broadcast from the church we just went to on TV. I mean, we just went on TV. When we got up in the morning, the ritual was going on.
- Giant water park in Orlando, guaranteed to get wet. It was Universal Studios if I'm not mistaken.
Is there any place that you would not go to among the places you have been to? Why?
There is no place I would say don't go, I can only suggest one or two:
Do not go to Northern Europe, Finnish towns during the winter. It may not be very pleasant to walk around in the dark 22 hours a day. But you can also see interesting things there. I saw Finland as the only European country to be walked around with a beer bottle and spit on the streets.
And Milan in August… Everything is closed. All 5 and 4 star hotels, restaurants… Even the journalist on the corner is closed. You look from the window of the patisserie… The cakes are moldy. It's as if the man had left and fled… Such an empty city…
Do you have any tips for those who say they want to take my head and go?
My most useful suggestion is that they should go to the neighborhood markets in the cities they visit. In the neighborhood markets, they can not only fill their stomachs in a delicious way, but also find everything they are looking for. It is also a good opportunity to learn about the culture of the place they are visiting. They may also encounter unexpected surprises at city flea markets if they can find them. I bought my ties at flea markets for a long time.
Especially if you work in a workplace where you wear a suit, the only detail you can express yourself is your tie.
Another important tip for ski lovers… If you want to learn to ski, I highly recommend taking lessons in Europe. Austrian Kitzpuhel might be a good choice. With a 4-day training, you can catch the opportunity to ski in the Alps at the beginner level with almost the same costs as in Turkey.
Finally, a classic question is who reads a lot or does he who travels a lot?
Let me give a short and concise answer to this: It is certain that those who travel without reading cannot learn anything.
The one who travels without reading only collects the "moment".
Ugur Ozmen; He visited many cities in Asia, Europe and America, and I hope he sees many more and shares them with us.